Update

Kids tickets up 400% this year. Might only be £20 but that is one hell of an increase. My 2 are bored with the style and results at home and rarely go anymore. Won't be paying £99 each next year if they don't go often enough !

 

I want to see the stadium full too. But i also want to watch a quality City team.

There's a well established assumption that the only way we can sell STs in reasonably high volume is through significantly underpricing the cost. And that may be a correct assumption, I'm just testing it and questioning whether mindsets have changed. Because of every ST holder I've spoken to who've deliberated over renewing next season, not one has mentioned price. They've all talked about the quality of football, prospects of promotion and direction of the club. And between discussions in-person and online, that's a sample group of 15-20 people from all different backgrounds and economic standing.

The issue is one of trust and credibility now, which I think makes a price increase difficult. But as a principle i think the whole 'price increases will stop people going' line is out dated. I honestly think that the vast majority of those with STs, if given the choice:

A) current pricing and the manager gets a 2m budget or

B) £250 for adults (similar pricing as now for concessions) and the manager gets a 3m budget

The vast majority would choose B. I would. You would.

Maybe I'm wrong. What would others choose?

 

If we had a season in or around the top two, rarely losing at home, winning over half our games, scoring more goals and playing more entertaining football, would they go more often and would 99 quid be decent value?

 

Whether you want to accept it or not. Some fans of ours (built up over the last few seasons) aren’t as committed as others. And they certainly won’t be happy to spend an extra £100 per adult ticket.

We have a core fan base of around 8-10k. Yes, the majority of those will be happy to pay an increase to £250. But at the risk of losing the remaining 4K fans and any floaters, not to mention loss of commercial revenues from lower gates?

 

Thank you, I'm glad someone else gets this.

 

Agree and said similar here https://bantamtalk.com/index.php?threads/update.246/page-18#post-23792

 

You may be right. But you may not be. I think most 'customers' of any product or service understand that you get what you pay for, as a general rule.

Out of interest, are you an ST holder? If so, would you choose A or B?

 

Maybe we should have sold season tickets before Christmas when our stock was still high. I’m sure they would have snapped our hands off to sign those contracts (erm I mean renew their tickets)

 

Which would you choose Bronco? A or B?

 

probably as they never missed over last three years up to this year. The results at home all season and all results in 2018 did for them both. We have renewed but it's last chance as far as they are concerned. . .

 

I do get it. I'm asking whether it's an assumption that holds true. If it's a case of revenue being similar, I'd rather have bigger crowds than smaller.

I also think he's broadly right the floating contingent of fans we have. But I think the biggest factor in whether they stay or go is our chance of success and the quality on display. People came back in numbers because prices dropped. But another factor was a coordinated PR effort aimed at resurrecting the club. Did they stay because it was cheap? Or because we were moving up the league's, improving year on year, going on cup runs, getting to cup finals, building new heroes and generally enjoyable to watch? And are they leaving because the reverse is true and the low price isn't a factor.. .?

I'm interested in what other ST holders would choose. A or B....

 

Me too. Based on quality and value like you. Not just the price.

Our of interest, have you seen my slightly earlier post? What would you choose? A or B?

 

I am and I would pay more. In fact I bought one of the higher membership packages, so effectively I have paid more than £250 for mine. But I’m not stupid enough to believe everyone is like me. We have built up our fans base in recent seasons, on the back of cheap tickets. It’s those that you’d have to ask if they’d be happy to see a price increase of 68%.

My sister and her husband started going in 2013, after Wembley and have renewed every season since. But said they wouldn’t be prepared to pay over £200 each. I also have nephews that started going with my brother, but they too deliberated over whether to renew at £169, so I know for a fact they wouldn’t renew at £250.

 

Maybe so. And you know your family much better than I do, obviously! But it's interesting that you say your sister and husband started going after we reached a cup final. So, they started going because we were 'successful' and going places, not because tickets were cheap....?

 

I said all along I will pay what the club say is the asking price, but then again I was a happy clapper, if it was £250 I would pay it, Bradford City are a big part of my social life, but I don't believe for one minute we would get 14,000 paying £250, I agree that we have around 10,000 at a push fans who would pay £200 or above I think it would drop below 10,000 if it was £250, and even though I can go along with fans paying more may give us a better chance of competing/success I don't want to go back to a stadium that holds 23,000 being less than half full.

 

A bit of both, same with my nephews. Although your first game watching us get dicked by Swansea is hardly ‘success’ for a non-supporter. So, I’d say, at that stage, it was more the price and atmosphere that persuaded them

 

Me neither Bronco. And I'm not saying you're wrong with sort of numbers you've outlined above. Or that I'm right. But it's interesting that when you ask specific individuals, most if not all are mostly attracted by the quality on offer and chance of success rather than the price.

As I say, I personally believe that we way over play the cheap ticket aspect. Added to which, an ST at something like 250 quid would still be relatively cheap.

This summer, I think we'd have a challenge anyway. But unless we find a way of increasing our budget, we're likely to forever toil at this level. As fans we should be prepared to do our bit.

Imagine a PR campaign that focused on 'let's get a promotion budget together'. If the owners promised that hitting a target of say 18k tickets would generate a 3m budget and if we hit that target they'd throw in another million. The numbers are speculative but it illustrates the point. I think it could be done.

Then, if you put together a successful and entertaining side, people would renew.

It's less about price and more about value, entertainment and prospects of success.

 

If you're interested FB, I would jump at option B for a definite. Over a full ssn I don't think the difference between the 2 costs is that great so yeah I'd opt for B.

 

Fair point. Though the atmosphere went hand in hand with success. And that year was the catalyst for 4 years of progression and some great occasions.

Would it be fair to say that their decision to keep going was based on enjoyment and seeing the club succeed? And that if we'd stayed and bumbled about in lower mid table league 2, there' a chance they'd have sacked it off even at the prices were selling for...?

 

It's interesting that we assume people wont pay more. And yet everyone that's responded WOULD pay more to give the manager a bigger budget.

We missed a massive trick last summer. That was the time for a price increase and 'let's give the manager a promotion war chest PR campaign'.